Owing to the energy crisis, a great deal of research activity is being conducted throughout the world with respect to solar collectors for heating fluids for applications in the fields of water heating, space heating, and air conditioning, thereby to reduce the quantities of conventional fuel consumed. While numerous solar collectors may be found in the prior art, it is highly desirable to produce collectors which have very high thermal efficiencies and yet which are relatively inexpensive to fabricate. The use of inexpensive materials and employment of labor saving techniques is thus of paramount importance in facilitating widespread use of the collectors.